2009/06/03

Bastardo Baffles Everyone

The injury to Brett Myers forced the Phillies to look into their farm system to find a replacement. With one start in the books, no one is missing Myers just yet. Thanks to the rocket left arm of Antonio Bastardo. The 23-year-old flame thrower surprised even the experts when his fastball tapped the radar gun at 95 mph. Bastardo, who with a name like that could certainly sell his share of jerseys, shut down the Padres offense to the tune of one run and four hits in six solid innings.

Bastardo’s start, if nothing else, has bought the Phillies a little more time to find a replacement for their number-2 starter. Had Bastardo laid an egg, the local club would have been stressing out to fill a hole. But instead, GM Ruben Amaro can breath easier for at least a week. Bastardo guaranteed himself at least one more start. But let’s not get too excited just yet. After all, Bastardo’s debut came against the worst hitting team in the National League. Not to mention Bastardo relied heavily on his fastball. The Phillies won’t be able to provide him with 10 runs every start. So we should enjoy what we saw on a Tuesday night in San Diego, but let’s wait until he has a few more starts under his belt before we decide that he is the answer.